Bible Text & Cross-references:
The fruitless repentance of the wicked in another world:
the reward of the just.
1 Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have
afflicted them, and taken away their labours.
2 These seeing it, shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be
amazed at the suddenness of their unexpected salvation,
3 Saying within themselves, repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit:
These are they, whom we had sometime in derision, and for a parable of reproach.
4 *We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honour.
5 Behold, how they are numbered among the children of God, and their
lot is among the saints.
6 Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice
hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen upon us.
7 We wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and destruction, and have
walked through hard ways, but the way of the Lord we have not known.
8 What hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of
riches brought us?
9 *All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that
runneth on,
10 *And as a ship, that passeth through the waves: whereof when it is
gone by, the trace cannot be found, nor the path of its keel in the waters:
11 Or as when a bird flieth through the air, of the passage of which
no mark can be found, but only the sound of the wings beating the light air, and parting it by the force of her flight: she
moved her wings, and hath flown through, and there is no mark found afterwards of her way:
12 Or as when an arrow is shot at a mark, the divided air quickly cometh
together again, so that the passage thereof is not known:
13 So we also being born, forthwith ceased to be: and have been able
to shew no mark of virtue: but are consumed in our wickedness.
14 Such things as these the sinners said in hell:
15 *For the hope of the wicked is as dust, which is blown away with the
wind, and as a thin froth which is dispersed by the storm: and a smoke that is scattered abroad by the wind: and as the remembrance
of a guest of one day that passeth by.
16 But the just shall live for evermore: and their reward is with the
Lord, and the care of them with the Most High.
17 Therefore shall they receive a kingdom of glory, and a crown of beauty
at the hand of the Lord: for with his right hand he will cover them, and with his holy arm he will defend them.
18 *And his zeal will take armour, and he will arm the creature for the
revenge of his enemies.
19 He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment
instead of a helmet:
20 He will take equity for an invincible shield:
21 And he will sharpen his severe wrath for a spear, and the whole world
shall fight with him against the unwise.
22 Then shafts of lightning shall go directly from the clouds, as from
a bow well bent, they shall be shot out, and shall fly to the mark.
23 And thick hail shall be cast upon them from the stone-casting wrath:
the water of the sea shall rage against them, and the rivers shall run together in a terrible manner.
24 A mighty wind shall stand up against them, and as a whirlwind shall
divide them: and their iniquity shall bring all the earth to a desert, and wickedness shall overthrow the thrones of the mighty.
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*
4: Wisdom iii. 2.
9: 1 Paralipomenon xxix. 15.; Wisdom ii. 5.
10: Proverbs xxx. 19.
15: Psalm i. 4.; Proverbs x. 28. and xi. 7.
18: Psalm xvii. 40.; Ephesians vi. 13.